Comments on: Vanessa George’s Case A Potential Miscarriage Of Justice

By: omnologos

omnologos — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:18:29 +0000

Thank you Carl. Slightly longer reply: “can” is not “must”. To print the picture of a person arrested is allowed, not mandatory. To print the picture of a person arrested of an abysmally heinous crime, given all the miscarriages of justice of the recent part, is something I find abhorrent.

On the subject of “how miscarriages come about”, it is a topic I am much interested into but I am obviously still in need to learn a lot about, given how I misunderstood the Vanessa George case. If you have written already about that, or have some good article to share, or if you would like to write up something I can publish in this blog, feel free to let me know.

By: omnologos

omnologos — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:12:34 +0000

quick reply: not sure what is wrong with the reply button? it works for me.

By: Carl Eve

Carl Eve — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:10:40 +0000

I’m having to put my reply here, as you appear to have left off the reply button on your long comment above.
Was it a potential miscarriage? Well, every case is a potential miscarriage. Every case.
Did you pass judgement – yes, on the media and on the police.
As the law stands – the law – the press can print pictures of a person arrested for whatever. If you think reporters should be ashamed of abiding by the law, then you need to start campaigning for a change in reporters’ morality, not just the law.
I don’t agree with the media frenzy which centres around a wrongly accused person, so don’t claim that I do. I do agree with a measured, balanced report that someone has been arrested in connection with a crime being investigated. And I say this as a crime reporter, so I have a bit of experience in that area.
I hear and recognise what you’re saying – no, really I do – and in the main I agree with you.
I briefly worked with John Sweeney of the BBC and he’s had more experience than most covering appalling miscarriages of justice and the media witch-hunt which follows. It was always an education listening to him about how miscarriages come about. I am equally appalled by how some newspapers (particularly nationals, but even locals on occasion) respond to arrests.
It’s just that in this particular case, two people who originally commented on your site knew a lot more than the general public and were able to comment accordingly.
It does appear that the main reasons you were “not convinced of those charges” was a) they were only torsos and b) women paedophiles are rare.

Well – the result is a) they were only torsos and b) women paedophiles are only rare, because no-one has ever properly evaluated how many there may be. And no-one’s really looking.

In this case, both George and Allen were stumbled upon out of pure luck. Nothing else. It has, however, opened up the debate about female abusers. And not before time.

By: omnologos

omnologos — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:37:32 +0000

Carl – Let’s start with the obvious consideration that with the help of hindsight, nobody has ever been able to be wrong. But that wasn’t available to me, or anybody else, on 11 June.

So: was George’s case in the end a miscarriage of justice? No (at least, as far as we know…think of Ian and Angela Gay). And yet…was it a potential miscarriage of justice, 4 months ago? Yes. Did I pass judgement on anybody? Only in the sense that printing the pictures of a potentially innocent person IS something any self-respecting person should be ashamed of, whatever says the Law. Likewise for the police or whomever else distributes a person’s photographs before the case goes to Court.

I am much more afraid of the totally-unfair, neverending hell unleashed on a wrongly-accused innocent than of the few weeks of anonimity that would otherwise be given to somebody guilty of however awful a crime. Obviously, you think otherwise. That’s why it’s an “alleged victim” against an “offender” in your world, rather than an “alleged offender” as well.

ps regarding the relationship between sex and the British media, I have just read an interesting and somehow topical article on the current issue of the LRB: Rumour Is Utterly Unfounded

By: Carl Eve

Carl Eve — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:39:19 +0000

One of your tesimonials is “Maurizio is one of lifes great people, he gives the precious gift of knowledge, and he encourages great thought and debate. He doesn’t go for the pat or glib answer, he goes for the right answer, and always researches it.”

I’m not saying you have a problem in being shown wrong.

It’s just that you just haven’t accepted that you were wrong. That’s all.

Perhaps, as some are quick to condemn the accused, you were a tad too quick to condemn the police. I’d just like to respectfully point out that you’ve done what you abhor, which is pass judgement without thinking first. Apologies if this offends, but it is what happened.

Until the law changes and the offender in sex cases gets the same anonymity as the alleged victim, then photos will be found, and used.

By: omnologos

omnologos — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:22:51 +0000

I am really amazed by the number of people that believe I or anybody else would have to see any problem in being shown wrong. Please do grow up. And check out all the occasions in which miscarriages of justice did indeed happen.

By: Carl Eve

Carl Eve — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:12:58 +0000

I think you’ll find it’s in the majority of the press today. And on the BBC you can find on Iplayer the Inside Out programme where you hear, in her own voice, her repeating how she knew she was doing wrong.

Maurizio – this isn’t a miscarriage of justice. This is a fair cop.

Take it on the chin, eh?

By: Wakey wakey

Wakey wakey — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:35:46 +0000

Well, she’s just admitted to her crimes, including her motivation, and said she knew it was wrong and “vile”.

Guess it’s not a miscarriage of justice after all, eh?

By: jacs

jacs — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:20:41 +0000

Hi General,

Congratulations on shopping Blanchard. I sincerely hope they throw away the key.
Can I discuss this case with you..

By: omnologos

omnologos — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:13:59 +0000

not as well as your hindsight capabilities, apparently…